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10 differences between driving a car and a van

Want to transition from driving a car to driving a van? Here are 10 ways in which you might find the experiences to be different.

1. Taxes

Higher rates of tax are associated with driving larger vehicles. If you drive your van for commercial purposes, you can claim tax back on the miles that you drove for business purposes.

2. Speed limits

Residential area and motorway speed limits are the same for both cars and vans. On single and dual carriageways, however, the speed limit for vans is lower than that for a car (50mph on single carriageways and 60mph on dual carriageways).

3. No rear view window

Most vans do not have a rear view window, so you will need to make good use of your windows to check on traffic coming up from behind.

4. No central rear view mirror

Unlike cars, vans usually are not equipped with central rear view mirrors. Again, this makes your side mirrors much more important when you are driving a van.

5. The need for extra care with bridges and barriers

Vans are usually higher than cars. Thus, bridges and barriers that you might sail beneath easily with a car require extra caution when driving a van.

6. Different dashboard layouts

The controls of a van tend to be laid out in a different way to those of a car. Familiarising yourself with them before you start driving your van is essential. Using the controls of a give type of vehicle tends to become second nature to us, and so some acclimatisation time is needed when we switch over to driving a van after driving a car (and vice versa).

7. The possibility of an extra gear

Some vans are equipped with 6 forward gear options rather than the 5 that you get with a car. Using your sixth gear is great for saving on the costs of petrol as you cruise along that motorway.

8. Parking may become more of a challenge

Though many vans will fit in to those conventional parking spaces reserved for cars, you can no longer assume that you can inch your way into a tight spot when you stop off at the shops.

9. Slower turning times

You will need to plan each turn with your van more quickly, particularly when the van is loaded right up, as this will slow it down when you need to make a turn.

10. Higher fuel bills

Vans tend to guzzle more fuel than cars, so be prepared to fork out more for fuel bills than you did with your car.

Ready to drive!

Now you know what makes driving a van different from driving a car, you are ready to take to the road. If you are looking for a van get in touch.

Financial Disclosure:Big Van World Limited act as a non-independent credit intermediary for a limited number of finance lenders and can introduce you to a limited number of finance products to assist with your vehicle purchase. Big Van World Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA number: 673124) as a Credit Broker not a Lender.
Our FCA Permitted business is arranging finance contracts. You can check this on the FCA Register by visiting the www.fca.org.uk or by contacting the FCA direct on 0800 111 6768.
All finance offers (including discount shopping) are subject to status and availability. You should not borrow more than you can afford to repay as doing so can cause you financial difficulties.
Big Van World Ltd may receive a commission for introduction. Big Van World Ltd act as a credit broker and not a lender.
Please not that when acquiring a vehicle using finance (HP & PCP) you will not own the vehicle until the final payment has been made.